


at the end of the day

by brushesofsage



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Varian and the Seven Kingdoms
Genre: Gen, Gift Fic, Tears and Hugs, alchemy bros, and hugs, best friend au, general fluff all around, inspired by cinn-a-mom’s own post, mentions of adoption, soft soft soft, technically for a trade but it's also a gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26186095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brushesofsage/pseuds/brushesofsage
Summary: "...I choose you"-Quirin stopped in front of the door to his home - wooden, scratched, and worn with age - as his hand rested on its handle, hesitant.Could he, of all people, be able to do this? Could he, a single father and much needed leader of his village, go through with this?Could he, Quirin, with a gnawing void in his heart, be able to make this decision?
Relationships: Quirin & Hugo, Quirin & Varian & Hugo, Quirin & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37





	at the end of the day

**Author's Note:**

> This was for part of a trade with cinn-a-mom on tumblr who wanted to see the scene in the Best Friends AU where Quirin and Varian officially adopt Hugo into their family. So here's this lil oneshot: wonderful fluff with a small smidge of angst. But the good kind :)
> 
> Title from "I Choose" by Alessia Cara

Quirin stopped in front of the door to his home - wooden, scratched, and worn with age - as his hand rested on its handle, hesitant. 

Could he, of all people, be able to do this? Could he, a single father and much needed leader of his village, go through with this? 

Could he, Quirin, with a gnawing void in his heart, be able to make this decision? 

Laughter rang out, muffled through the oak and stone walls and he felt a smile grow, the weight falling off his shoulders. He pushed the door open and he was no longer Quirin, beloved leader and no-longer-warrior of a fallen kingdom. 

He was Quirin, tired farmer and father coming home for the night to his family. 

-

_ It could have been worse, _ he thought.  _ At least the house is not on fire. Again. _

He lunged over fallen chairs and blankets, eyeing the way crates had been stacked over each other and the few books they owned were strewn across the floor. Before he could say anything, the sound of childish banter reached his ears. 

“And with a  _ SWISH _ of his sword, Flynn Rider  _ cut _ through the rope and went  _ sailing _ through the air, escaping those roguish thieves on the back of his trusty steed as he rode back to the Isle of Ruddiger with the stolen treasure-“

“That’s not how it goes!”

“I’ve got the book so I can make my own ‘bellishments!”

“Not for long!” 

The clang of wood and metal echoed as he heard the boys clamoring over the continuity and inconsistencies of the story, voices raising in the way he knew would spur another competitive game that would last through the night.

_ Ulla would have loved this. _

He made his way towards the commotion, unsurprised at how Varian’s room had been turned inside out, the faint makings of a fort and walls half formed from pillows and the bed standing out. The two boys in question were locked in battle, wooden spoon against a ladle, propped with blankets and clothing sashed around them like capes as Varian climbed onto a stool.

“It’s over Hugo!” he taunted, brandishing the book in his hands like a shield. “I have the high ground! You can’t reach me!” 

Hugo dropped his arm a fraction, squinting through dirty lenses before a smirk crossed his face. “Oh, are you sure about that,  _ Sir Bertilak? _ ” Varian only had a moment to gasp before a pillow struck him directly in the face and knocked him off his throne. 

(Even after seeing that he fell directly onto his bed, Quirin’s heart would not stop pounding). 

Varian sputtered as he sat up, frowning as he glared at a snickering Hugo. “No fair! I wanted to be Flynn Rider!”

“You got to be him last time, Hairstripe!” 

“Fine,” A mischievous grin then lit his face as he pushed himself up, pillow in his hand. “Then have at thee, you fiend!” He lurched from the ground and tackled a surprised Hugo, the two of them tumbling to the ground in a mess of flailing limbs and shouts - and Quirin had to hold back from chuckling. To see the blissful happiness of childhood, a moment in time, unburdened by worry or fear for what was to come…

It was almost as if he could feel her gentle hand on his, prodding him forward. 

Varian saw him first. “Hi Dad!” he chirped, pushing off of Hugo to bound up to him as Quirin knelt down to greet him. “We’re acting out Flynn Rider and the Knights of Cleaves,” he exclaimed a little too loudly in his ear as he threw his arms around his neck. This time, Quirin let a soft snort escape him.

“Yes, I can see that,” he said, glancing around the room with a raised eyebrow. Books, paper, blankets, kitchen utensils, all discarded and red creeped up his son’s neck as he ducked his head with a sheepish grin. 

“We’ll clean it up after,” he mumbled, already knowing what was coming as Quirin ruffled his hair. He glanced up and saw Hugo getting up onto his feet as well.

“Hi, Mister Quirin.” His voice was now quieter in his presence, bending over to quickly clean his glasses. Even though Hugo saw him often, had come around often enough to get used to him, there was still an air of wariness around the boy - never too open, never too unguarded - and it tore at Quirin’s heart. 

(Where had he been staying all this time whenever he wasn’t around Varian or wasn’t around the house? An image of a faded cottage, abandoned and falling at the seams entered his mind. How had Quirin not wondered this before?) 

“Hello, Hugo,” he said warmly, staying on his knee as he pulled back to look at them both. Hair in complete disarray, cheeks flushed from laughter and play. Varian struggling to untie a stray blanket from around his waist. His own blood pounding in his veins. He took a deep breath. “I actually wanted to speak to you both.” 

Varian’s eyes lit up with curiosity as his grip slipped and he landed onto the ground. He ignored it however as a little gasp escaped him. Whether or not he remembered the conversation - more of a wondering musing that Quirin had brought up one evening after hearing his son’s antics about what had happened that day - Quirin knew what his answer would be. Hugo on the other hand… 

The boy halted before him, almost hesitantly glancing up at his looming figure, even though Quirin was resting on his knees. 

(And wouldn’t anyone seem too big for someone so small? He tried to make himself as non threatening as possible, burying the thoughts that tried to piece together the reasons for such a natural reaction.

But it was his eyes, the look that betrayed a small glimmer of unintentional fear, that sealed Quirin’s decision).

_ You’re making the right choice. _

Mustering a gentle smile, he gestured to the floor in front of him -  _ come, _ he thought,  _ you’re welcome here _ \- and Hugo carefully sat down. Varian immediately scooted over to his side, throwing the undone blanket over the two of them, which got a laugh out of the boy. The little tension there melted away, and Quirin felt himself grow softer as he saw the scene in front of him.

“Hugo,” he started, inwardly wincing as Hugo flinched slightly, and he tried to keep the deep rumble out of his voice as much as possible. “You’ve seemed to be a frequent visitor here…” Hugo’s eyes widened slightly, darting around to read his expression and Quirin softly cursed. 

_ No, not that way dear. _

The familiar presence of hands around his shoulder, a smile pressing up against his neck, filled him with the courage to start over. 

“Hugo,” he began again, his eyes meeting Varian’s eager ones, and continued, letting himself feel his words. “I want you to know that it makes me happy to see Varian as happy as he is with you. And I’m glad to see that the two of you have formed such a close friendship.”

A tight-knit bond, one that reminded him of another life, another him.

“You’re always welcome and safe here, no matter what you need. We will always be here for you, whenever you need us, you understand?”

Just like the opened arms of a border village that welcomed a refuge from a fallen kingdom. Just like the open doors for an orphan who had wormed his way into a place in his heart. 

“Now, I don’t know what the future holds or what may come,” Their eyes met again and he made his voice as tender as possible, “but while those will come in their own time, I-  _ we, _ ” he corrected, glancing at Varian, whose face brightened up as realization crossed his face. “We would like it if we could share it with you. If that’s alright with you.” 

A moment passed as Hugo furrowed his brow, unconsciously drawing the blanket up to his chin. “What… what do you mean?” Quirin couldn’t hold back the smile as he saw Varian bouncing up and down before replying.

“If you want to, we would love it if you became a part of the family.” 

He saw him mouthing the words to himself before his eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline. “You- you mean… like…?” 

“A family!” Varian couldn’t resist holding back, a wide smile stretching across his face. “You’ll still be my best friend, but you can be my brother now too! And you can stay here whenever you want! And we can share a room, and-”

Quirin didn’t ignore the tears forming in Hugo’s eyes as Varian continued to ramble, watering to the point of falling over, but before he could intervene - Varian got too excitable at times and Hugo was just so much more sensitive - Hugo nodded once. Then several times, each one more vigorous than the last. 

“Yes,” he whispered before his voice gained greater strength. “Yes, yes,  _ yes!” _ There was a laugh as Varian immediately threw his arms around his best friend - well, brother now, wasn’t it? - and Hugo hugged back, tight and unrelenting.

“Are you crying?”

“ _ No. _ ”

They continued to break down in laughter, mixing the joyful noise with tears of their own and Quirin took in the sight before him, a warmth spreading in his chest, a feeling he hadn’t been able to feel so strongly since  _ her _ death. 

Unable to hold back, he reached over and brought his own arms around them, cradling them close to his chest. Small, they were, but so full of  _ life. _ Full of sorrow and joy. Sons of his blood and choice. Broken cracks of life began to be gradually filled.

He might have given up his life as a warrior, but here was another mantle, here in his arms, that he was willing to shoulder. Another calling to take up the arms of protection. 

“You’re one of us now,” he whispered. And oh, if only Ulla could see them now. He would give anything to see her smile again, to see that her dream of a family, to see that their dream of a loving home, had not died with her.

_ I can. And I am. _

He kissed the crowns of their heads, his own tears adding to theirs.

_ I would never let you go. _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it mom. I had fun writing this 💜


End file.
